A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms showrunner Ira Parker has shared his personal reaction to one of the biggest surprises of awards season: the HBO series receiving a nomination for ‘Outstanding Drama Series’ at the Emmys.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Parker recounted exactly where he was and how he felt when the news broke.
Quick read:
- Ira Parker wanted the actors to be acknowlegded through nominations more than the show
- He thought it was unlikely for the show to receive nominations because of the opening Dunk poop scene
- He sees this as a recognition of every single person’s contribution in creating the show
“I was in the edit. I’d set my phone to silence all notifications on everything. I was watching, funny enough, a recap of season one. Then I got a phone call, and I was like, ‘How is this possible?’ It was from my partner, and I forgot that she’s the only exception on the phone who can get through unrestricted. I could hear in her voice immediately that there was good news coming.”
Credits: HBO
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Expecting actor nods, not the top prize
Parker admitted he had anticipated recognition for his two leads rather than the series itself.
“Personally, I had thought it was going to be that Peter or Dexter was nominated.”
Instead, the show landed the most prestigious category, Outstanding Drama Series, among its nine total Emmy nominations. The news left him both stunned and deeply relieved.
“The big feeling was relief — to know that it wasn’t just all an illusion, that [the season] did connect with people.”
Credits: HBO
The “violent sh*t” factor
Parker couldn’t resist a characteristically honest (and humorous) observation about why he never expected awards attention in the first place:
“Personally, I figured if your lead character takes a violent sh*t onscreen in the first five minutes, you pretty much preclude your series from awards consideration.”
Despite that early, unfiltered moment, the Television Academy clearly saw past it. Parker emphasized that the nomination felt like validation for everyone involved.
“We consider it recognition for the whole show and, especially, for our crew in Belfast, who deserve it the most. So I was surprised, in the most lovely way, that the TV Academy holds us in high-ish esteem.”
A meaningful milestone
The Outstanding Drama Series nomination marks a major achievement for a first-season show that deliberately took a smaller, more intimate approach than previous Game of Thrones universe entries. For Parker, the recognition confirmed that the story of Dunk and Egg had truly resonated with audiences, even if it was just through 6 short episodes.
